SOME people might see being moved from Foreign Secretary to Leader of the Commons as a demotion. But Jack Straw doesn't agree.

He views it as a golden opportunity to reconnect the British people with politics, see more of his family, spend extra time in his Blackburn constituency and get to more Rovers home matches.

He insists he will be relieved to be based in Britain and not managing the weekly or daily crises which go with his two previous jobs as Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary.

The Blackburn MP exclusively revealed to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph that in last year's cabinet reshuffle he told Tony Blair that while he was happy and honoured to continue as Foreign Secretary, he would like to move on shortly to become Leader of the House of Commons.

And yesterday the Prime Minister granted his wish, telling him that the job had become a very important one.

Mr Straw said: "I certainly don't see it as a demotion.

"I see it as a chance to try and reconnect people with politics and politicians. The rise of the British National Party, England First and other far right groups shows growing disaffection with the political process. One of my jobs will be to tackle that.

"I think it's important as well to put the government back in a position where it's more sensitive to MPs. I think that recently the government hasn't been sensitive enough to the views of MPs.

Probably since 1979 it hasn't paid enough attention to the House of Commons as the country's premier debating chamber and sounding board for the nation. I think that's where some of the problems have come from.

"I'm absolutely delighted with my new job. I have always been a House of Commons man and a parliamentarian through and through. Even when Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary I spent a lot of time there.

"When I saw the PM last year for the post-election reshuffle I said I was delighted to be Foreign Secretary for a bit but I was ready to move on. I wasn't going to do it forever. This is the job in Goverment I wanted.

"When you are Foreign Secretary there aren't many places you can go. I had already been Home Secretary, there was no vacancy for Chancellor and no vacancy for Deputy Prime Minister.

"I'm looking forward after nine years of crisis management at the Home Office and Foreign Office to not being permanently on duty.

"I haven't had a weekend off or a holiday without having to be in touch with the office every day. At least I won't be waiting for the mobile to ring or to deal with the latest crisis.

"I shall be able to spend more time with my family, more time in my Blackburn constituency and hopefully be able to get to Ewood Park more often for Blackburn Rovers' home games. I might even be able to follow them in Europe but we will have to wait and see.

"I have had many highlights as Foreign Secretary. Obviously going to see Birmingham Alabama with Condoleezza Rice and then bringing the US Secretary of State to Blackburn are among them.

"It has helped turn a professsional relationship into a life-long friendship. Others have included dealing with Iran and particularly bringing Turkey closer to joining the European Union.

"Obviously I have mixed feelings about Iraq. When you get involved in the war you're bound to have mixed feelings especially in terms of the loss of human life.

"I like to think I shouldered my responsibility on that and I am proud that we deposed Saddam Hussein.

"Obviously there still will be problems in my new job in trying to make the government more sensitive to the views of MPs and reconnect politics to the people. There is also House of Lords reform which is a manifesto commitment that will not be easy to get a solution to.

"Another highlight was the presidency of the European Union.

"I'm looking forward to my new job, but I have enjoyed my other two jobs in the cabinet very much. There is a time to move on and I think this is it."

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "This is not a demotion. The Leader of the House of Commons is a very important job and Jack will be playing a very senior role in government."